1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to double sliding-type portable communication apparatuses, such as cellular phones, PDAs (personal digital assistants), HHPs (hand held phones), and other communication apparatuses, and more particularly to a double sliding-type portable communication apparatus, in which one housing slidably moves relative to the other housing through double-sliding motions.
2. Description of the Related Art
In general, a “portable communication apparatus” refers to an electronic appliance allowing users to communicate with other users via wired or wireless communication devices while carrying portable terminals. For the sake of portability, designs of such portable communication apparatuses tend to be compact, slim, and light. Multimedia availability, is also a consideration, where having a wider variety of functions is desirable. In particular, future portable communication apparatuses are expected to incorporate greater multi-functionality and multi-purpose utilization, as well as being more compact and lighter, while being capable of accessing various multimedia environments or Internet environments. Additionally, such portable communication apparatuses are now commonly used throughout the world, and are recognized by some people as a nearly indispensable commodity, which must always be carried.
Conventional portable communication apparatuses may be classified into various types according to their appearance. For example, sliding type portable communication apparatuses are classified into bar-type communication apparatuses, flip-type portable communication apparatuses and folder-type portable communication apparatuses. The bar-type portable communication apparatus has a single housing shaped like a bar. The flip-type portable communication apparatus has a flip, which is pivotably mounted to a bar-shaped housing by a hinge unit. The folder-type portable communication apparatus has a folder coupled to a single bar-shaped housing by a hinge unit to allow rotation of the holder towards the housing to close it, or away from the housing to unfold it.
Further, portable communication apparatuses may be classified into rotation-type communication apparatuses and sliding-type communication apparatuses depending on the particular way the communication apparatus is opened. In the rotation-type portable communication apparatus, two housings are coupled to each other to allow one housing to rotate open or closed relative to the other while facing each other. In the sliding-type portable communication apparatus, two housings are coupled to each other to allow one housing to slide open or closed relative to the other. These variously classified portable communication apparatuses can be easily understood by those skilled in the art.
Meanwhile, conventional portable communication apparatuses currently transmit data at high speeds in their function of performing voice communication.
Currently, portable communication apparatuses are equipped with camera lenses, which enable each of the communication apparatuses to transmit an image signal. That is, current conventional portable communication apparatuses may have an embedded or external camera lens or a photographing unit, which enables a user to make an image communication with a desired partner or to take a photograph of a desired subject.
However, since the conventional sliding-type portable communication apparatus includes two housings, in which one housing slides in one direction relative to the other housing, the overall thickness of the sliding-type portable communication apparatus consequently increases two-fold with increasing thickness of two housings.
In addition, in the conventional sliding-type portable communication apparatus, one housing slides in an opposite direction relative to the other only exposing a fraction of the inner surface to the user, consequently resulting in less usable surface area where keys and a liquid crystal display maybe installed.
This is particularly inconvenient when playing a game or manipulating keys.
Korean Patent Application No. 2002-71911, which has been filed with the Korean Intellectual Property Office by the applicant of the present application (also filed in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office as U.S. application Ser. No. 10/379,551), discloses a structure of a sliding-type portable communication apparatus in detail. However, the above sliding-type portable communication apparatus is somewhat bulky due to the result of combining the two housings together. Accordingly, desirability of the sliding-type portable communication apparatus of the prior art is limited.